Facebook Laws For Students

September 20, 2016

College is a time for intellectual stimulation, academic achievement and broadening of horizons. Well ok, it’s also a time for partying hard, tearing it up and making questionable choices, but the first part should factor in there somewhere too. This is because that is the part that will hopefully lead to gainful employment when you graduate.

Unfortunately, this is where the “questionable choices” part can come back to haunt you. In today’s age of smartphones and social media, questionable choices (such as drinking half a bottle of Jose Cuervo and passing out in a frat-house bathtub) can be instantly logged and posted online for all to see, forever! To limit hauntings by the Ghost of Shenanigans Past, read on for our 5 Facebook Laws for Students:

Law #1: Privacy

We’re going to say it again: Privacy! Unless you’re desperate for �likes’ to validate your existence, there is absolutely no reason why your entire Facebook profile should be visible to the whole world! Check your privacy settings to limit full access to your profile to �Friends Only’. Trust us, you’ll be grateful later.

Law #2: Manage Your Page Carefully

We all add friends on Facebook that we don’t know too well. You might have just met them at a party, or they might be studying the same course as you. However, some of these people might have beliefs or ideals that don’t exactly match with yours. If a Facebook friend is constantly posting questionable content such as racist or illegal topics, or even worse, tagging you in them, it might be wise to unfriend them. DON’T, under any circumstances, Like or Share such topics. This WILL come back to haunt you!

Law #3: Use it for Your Career

As previously mentioned, Facebook can have implications for your career prospects, but this is becoming even more relevant as employers increasingly look to Facebook to recruit candidates. You can use this to your advantage. The obvious start if you’re in your graduation year is to include Facebook in your job-hunting activities.

Another approach is to be part of Groups and Pages related to your chosen field of study and profession, both within the university and in your region as a whole. Recruiters trawl these pages for potential future employees.

Law #4: Avoid Questionable Choices

Ok, you’re a student, so this might not always be possible, but as much as possible you want to avoid pictures of you online doing anything that might put off a potential employer, whether it’s being passed-out drunk, engaging in not-so-legal activities or even nudity – those pictures from Burning Man might have seemed cool at the time, but Mary from HR at Boring & Gray Law Firm might not think so! By begging, bribery or threat, make sure your friends fall in line.

Law #5: Market Yourself

There is a reason why companies spend billions of dollars on Facebook marketing each year – with 1.5 billion users, it’s one of the most powerful digital marketing tools in the world. So, you should use it to market yourself as well. Do you volunteer for charity work? Post about it. Personal achievements? Big yourself up, #winning! Picture of you in your graduation gown? Most definitely!

Like it or not, Facebook has evolved far beyond a simple social network – it is an immensely powerful and useful too to manage the brand that is You, and it should be treated as such.